It's no secret that smoking causes colossal harm to the entire body. Nicotine and accompanying harmful substances contained in tobacco smoke penetrate into every organ, into every cell of the body, bringing with them destruction and grave consequences.
Therefore, it would be naive to believe that giving up this bad habit will go unnoticed.
The problem of smoking is dealt with by doctors of special specializations - narcologist and psychotherapist (psychologist). This is explained by the fact that when quitting smoking, a person has to face the problems of physical and psychological dependence on cigarettes. If the patient is not a heavy smoker, then the process of body rehabilitation is quite easy and simple (almost imperceptible). If the patient is an experienced smoker and at the same time his daily norm was a pack, or even two per day, then quitting smoking (and even a sharp cessation of smoking) can lead to a stressful state.
Let's take a closer look at what happens to the smoker's body after quitting a bad habit?
What can influence the recovery process of the body?
How hard and how long the process of recovery and renewal of the body will last, it entirely depends on the smoker himself, or rather on:
- his smoking history;
- gender;
- age;
- the presence of background and chronic diseases;
- the state of the immune system;
- individual characteristics of the patient's body.
For some of the patients, the process is faster, for some it is delayed, but on average it takes about a year to “heal”.
Prepare for: the unpleasant aspects of quitting smoking
Quitting smoking can have a number of unpleasant sensations, but all of them are temporary and are a normal reaction of the body during restructuring and transition to functioning without nicotine. In medicine, this period is called withdrawal syndrome (popularly - fragile), and it does not threaten the body in any way. During the rehabilitation of the body, the following symptoms may appear (but this is not necessary, and therefore you should not listen and look for these signs in yourself):
- burning desire to smoke;
- slight dizziness;
- irritability, lack of strength to wait or tolerate anything;
- depressed mood or depressive state;
- obsessive feeling of anxiety;
- fast fatigability;
- slow heart rate;
- skin rashes (irritation, acne);
- inflammation of the oral mucosa;
- sore throat;
- runny nose;
- sleep disorders;
- constant hunger;
- stomach cramps;
- persistent cough.
These are the most common ailments during the recovery period of the body, but it is not at all necessary that all of the above symptoms (or even some of them) will appear in you.
The recovery period can also be accompanied by a decrease in immunity, and therefore, in the first couple of months, smokers are susceptible to viral and colds. And this is quite understandable, because the body adapts to new conditions of existence, and therefore immunity cannot give a worthy rebuff to viruses.
Over the years of smoking, your body has become accustomed to functioning in a mode of constant supply of nicotine, and in order for the body to adapt to new (well forgotten old) working conditions, it takes time, and the longer you smoked, the longer you have to wait.
What can make the body's recovery process easier?
The body's recovery process can be slightly facilitated by filling life with pleasant sensations and joyful events - this stimulates the production of the pleasure hormone (dopamine).
To calm the nervous system, you can take sedatives - valerian, lemongrass and ginseng tincture, a cocktail of motherwort and chamomile decoctions. Sports (moderate physical activity - refusing the elevator and walking up the stairs, classes in the pool, walking and cycling in a pine forest or forest, hiking, outdoor games) and hobbies (some prefer to “leaveto work with the head "). And instead of cigarettes, take seeds or nuts - this is a useful alternative to nicotine, they contain minerals and substances necessary for the body that help fight toxins.
For the fastest recovery of the respiratory system, try to limit contacts with household and office equipment (they inhibit the process of cleansing the lungs) or purchase an air ionizer.
To maintain immunity, it is recommended to avoid drafts and walks in cold and slushy weather; replenish the lack of vitamins with fruits or take vitamin and mineral complexes. It will be useful to pay attention to the diet in order to restore the protein balance, as well as eat more foods containing vitamin C (oranges, lemons, kiwi, grapefruits, pineapples, berries, herbs, rosehip broth, sauerkraut salad) and fiber (dried fruits, bran, vegetables). Dairy products will discourage the craving for tobacco, moreover, they will be very useful for the recovering organism (especially for the cardiovascular system).
But above all, smoking cessation must be accompanied by strong motivation.
What to expect: positive changes
When smoking cessation, internal organs and systems are the first to react.
Do not be afraid of some discomfort in the chest (this, as we have already said, is a temporary phenomenon), just the respiratory and circulatory systems begin to recover: the heart muscle and blood vessels acquire their former elasticity and begin to work in full force.
After quitting nicotine, there may be some depression, but these are just the consequences of the nervous system getting toned and restoring its natural state - it resists stress without the help of nicotine. Shaking hands syndrome disappears a little later.
As you know, nicotine has a negative effect on the reproductive system of both men and women. By decreasing sperm count and sperm vitality, nicotine can render men infertile. Nicotine has a no less harmful effect on the female body, disrupting the woman's reproductive cycle, as well as the possibility of normal fertilization of the egg and intrauterine development of the child. Smoking (especially in women) entails gene mutations, and therefore affects the ability to have healthy offspring. Smokers, in comparison with non-smokers, have a tenfold higher risk of giving birth to an unhealthy child, as well as the fact that the risk of miscarriage is many times higher. After quitting smoking, the risk of premature birth is significantly reduced, as well as the birth of a child with pathology of the respiratory tract, cardiovascular system and other disorders. For men, smoking cessation prevents the appearance of premature impotence (for smokers this age is 30-40 years).
Many women are concerned about weight gain when quitting smoking. When smoking, nicotine dulls hunger, boosts metabolism, and at the same time helps fight stress. There is no reason for worry if, during the period of restructuring of the body, due attention is paid to the diet (refuse fatty foods, and also refuse or at least limit the consumption of sweets and flour products). According to statistics, the average weight gain of those who quit smoking is about 3 kg per year, but "horror stories" about this are nothing more than a publicity stunt of tobacco companies and cigarette companies. Those who are inclined to be overweight, in addition to a healthy diet, should pay attention to an active lifestyle (try walking more).
Quitting smoking will have a beneficial effect on the entire body, and it will manifest itself in the following:
- improvement of the work of all organs and systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, digestive, urogenital);
- improvement of the circulatory system and blood circulation (healthy complexion and even blush);
- easy breathing and the disappearance of shortness of breath;
- improvement of smell and taste (perhaps even improvement of vision and hearing, because nicotine no longer dulls the functioning of the auditory and optic nerves);
- increase in efficiency and the emergence of a desire to be more active;
- normalization of sleep (daytime sleepiness disappears) and general tone of the body;
- improving memory, reaction, concentration;
- increase in the speed of thinking (quick wits);
- increase in free time (by refusing to smoke breaks);
- increase in finances (which used to be wasted - on cigarette smoke).
What happens during recovery with the body by days and months?
For those who are interested in what happens to the body when a smoker has given up a bad habit, let's answer: the body is recovering, and it happens approximately like this (the process can happen in different ways for everyone).
1 day:
- the concentration of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases and the level of oxygen in the tissues increases;
- decreased appetite;
- weakness is felt;
- may have a bad dream.
Day 2:
- Improving the functioning of the lung epithelium - the amount of mucus in them decreases;
- cells of the stomach and intestines are renewed;
- cough, itchy skin;
- frequent urination.
Day 3:
- the bronchial mucosa is restored - the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain increases;
- improves the tone of blood vessels;
- appetite increases dramatically.
Day 4:
- blood flow to the brain normalizes - tinnitus and dizziness are observed;
- antidiuretic hormone is produced.
Day 5:
- coughing up mucus;
- healing of microtraumas of the tongue and restoration of taste buds.
Day 6:
- the work of the pancreas and gallbladder is restored;
- excessive sweating and nausea appear.
Day 7:
- psychological awareness of cigarette addiction;
- coughing up mucus;
- stool disorder.
Approximately this is how the first week of the body's recovery passes and, perhaps, these first days will not be particularly noticeable. However, a month will pass, and not only you will be able to feel the qualitative changes, but others will also notice.
For months, the recovery process goes something like this:
- 1 month - recovery takes place at the level of cells (epithelium is renewed, the process of absorption and absorption in the intestine is normalized, depression is possible).
- 2 months - the skin is restored (the yellowness of the fingers and face disappears, dry skin disappears), the lungs are restored at the cellular level (coughing may continue), fatigue during physical exertion disappears.
- 3 months - blood vessels, nervous system (minimal susceptibility to stress), increased appetite, but healthy sleep are fully restored.
- 4 months - normalization of the facial skin (peeling passes), the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is normalized and the stool is normalized.
- 5 months - lung tissues continue to recover, liver cells are restored, the body's response to physical activity is normalized (however, with "marathons" you should wait for now).
- 6-8 months - the process of enriching the blood with oxygen is normalized, the liver continues to regenerate, weight is stabilized, taste buds and sense of smell are restored.
- 9 months - almost complete recovery of the whole body, it may be tempting to return to smoking.
- 1 year - physical activity without restrictions; the risk of diseases caused by smoking is reduced by 90%.
Be patient, because you have to pay for everything in life, and all unpleasant sensations are only temporary, but the diseases that smoking causes bring much more trouble and suffering to the body.
Good luck in fighting your bad habit - smoking! We believe that in this struggle there is only one possible winner, and you will become him!
Be healthy!